Iván Raña (Ordes, A Coruña, 1979) has just retired professionally from triathlon, the reason for this interview. But when he answers EL MUNDO, he has just completed five hours by bike, 140 kilometers to go see his brother. "Now I'm more relaxed, on the road. But hey, I put a good grip on the ports," he says with the sly pride of those who made the effort a way of life, pioneer of a sport that today moves masses but then, in the 90s ... "We were 30 or 40 to the tests, as a family." "Now that I am doing so many again ... I remember the first interviews. I had to explain that I swam, rode my bike and ran. And that it was all followed!" Laughs the Galician, during a reflective talk, in which he reels unique career, that of a rebel outside of any established script.

How are the goodbye days being? In fact, I was in the Volta a Galicia and I only did two stages, overwhelmed by so many messages. I didn't think it was going to be that long. It's brutal when you notice that affection. When you win a race it's fine, but this, uf ... It will be the sowing ... But I have also received. I thought, 'when I leave the professional triathlon, how am I going to get excited about something?' But the other day, when I got out of the pool, some kids asked me for a photo. And I began to get the bug of wanting to contribute to them. Give back what they did for me. When was it clear? There is a moment that you feel it, that you see it very clearly. And the doubts are over. If they told me two years ago, when we were in confinement, that I trained every day at home with the roller and doing gymnastics, I would have said no. I wanted to keep competing.But there comes a time when the result is not the important thing. I'm hooked on daily training, that way of living, of feeling good, in shape, but the competition no longer pulls. I want to get out of the washing machine that I was in, that circle of preparing races, of trying to win them. I need to break it, do what I want, go to a MTB race in stages to Costa Rica or Morocco, to enjoy it in a more relaxed way, without thinking that all the training, the food, the trip ... it has to be perfect How do you remember the beginnings? They were triathlons of 30-40 people, almost familiar. Now you run an ironman with 3,000 guys. You had a great time, because whoever was there did it because he really liked it. It was not something mediatic nor was it fashionable. That is what I experienced as a child. We got together five friends,we would take our bikes and go swimming in the river. That little adventure that you live that day is what hooks you. That is why I always liked to train more relaxed, without looking at the numbers so much. A friend told me: 'Hey Iván, you don't have to fill all training sessions with epic'. All that spirit of adventure is what returns now.

ROSA GONZALEZMUNDO

The first trips, the first races ... It was the best time. We were traveling in a 127 whose seat belts did not work, my coach and I, from Santiago to Córdoba, or to Avilés, everywhere, to compete. We slept in tents, a brutal adventure. There were not so many triathlons, so we did any race. Did they look at you strangely at school for doing that sport? In First of BUP, he was Spanish triathlon champion, Galician swimming champion, he ran cycling races at a good level, cross, track ... I had done chess, canoeing. And they suspended Physical Education. That made me very unmotivated to study. I thought: 'They are not counting your worth here, here I have to swallow ...'. It was what there was at that time. Today, a high-level athlete is given facilities to change exams.At the age of 14 he leaves home and soon is at a Junior World Cup in Cleveland ... I did the trip alone, I didn't even have an English 'dad', what I had studied was enough to say 'I'm happy'. But he was handsome, because by balls you learn more, you have to wake up. Where would I be if it weren't for sports? Look, I've thought about it and I've never found an answer. As a child, I wanted to be an airplane pilot or cowboy, because of the movies. But since childhood there was only option A, sport. He only had that in his head. Is the thorn of the Olympic medal left in him? No. I've made my way, I can't complain. When I see that nine-year-old boy who was running on the roads, who didn't even have a bike. And then I visualize myself being world champion (2002), with a sponsor who sent me the best bike, in some Games, in the Ironman in Hawaii ...Athens 2004 (23rd) was the worst moment? Yes. There are people who when the moment of pressure comes, they leave it, we are seeing it. I've been through it too. I was the favorite for Athens, you listen to what comes from outside and there is a lot of tension. Everyone talks about that race and there is a time when you get saturated and you have to deal with all of that. Until you can sleep peacefully ... It was a part that I had a hard time learning. Just win one, we'd go crazy if we don't learn it. And then the time came when you no longer listen, you say "yes, yes" and that's when it comes out the best for you. That happened to me in Beijing. I went in a relaxed way and if I was ever there to win the Games it was there. I came with a fifth, very happy. Javi made fourth and was branded a regular result. And I thought, 'let's see when this is repeated'.If people saw the top 100 training in the rankings, how those people live, they would understand how difficult it is to be there. Do you remember the longest period that you spent without training? In the early years I made a plan of two or three weeks off. But as of 2006 I think I never rested again. I take some afternoon off. Now it is part of my routine, I never stop. If you do it without stress, the body does not get tired. You can only saturate yourself mentally. He dedicated a year to professional cycling, he drove rally cars, he ran tests barefoot ... Did he feel that they looked at him strange? To some he seemed crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand that he understands. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toI would understand how difficult it is to be there. Do you remember the longest period you spent without training? Some accident I had. In the early years I made a plan of two or three weeks off. But as of 2006 I think I never rested again. I take some afternoon off. Now it is part of my routine, I never stop. If you do it without stress, the body does not get tired. You can only saturate yourself mentally. He dedicated a year to professional cycling, he drove rally cars, he ran tests barefoot ... Did he feel that they looked at him strange? To some he seemed crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand that he understands. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toI would understand how difficult it is to be there. Do you remember the longest period you spent without training? Some accident I had. In the early years I made a plan of two or three weeks off. But as of 2006 I think I never rested again. I take some afternoon off. Now it is part of my routine, I never stop. If you do it without stress, the body does not get tired. You can only saturate yourself mentally. He dedicated a year to professional cycling, he drove rally cars, he ran tests barefoot ... Did he feel that they looked at him strange? To some he seemed crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand that he understands. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toIn the early years I made a plan of two or three weeks off. But as of 2006 I think I never rested again. I take some afternoon off. Now it is part of my routine, I never stop. If you do it without stress, the body does not get tired. You can only saturate yourself mentally. He dedicated a year to professional cycling, he drove rally cars, he ran tests barefoot ... Did he feel that they looked at him strange? To some he seemed crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand that he understands. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toIn the early years I made a plan of two or three weeks off. But as of 2006 I think I never rested again. I take some afternoon off. Now it is part of my routine, I never stop. If you do it without stress, the body does not get tired. You can only saturate yourself mentally. He dedicated a year to professional cycling, he drove rally cars, he ran tests barefoot ... Did he feel that they looked at him strange? To some he seemed crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand that he understands. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toHe drove rally cars, ran tests barefoot ... Did you feel that they were looking at you strange? Some thought he was crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand should understand. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk toHe drove rally cars, ran tests barefoot ... Did you feel that they were looking at you strange? Some thought he was crazy about those things, but whoever wants to understand should understand. I had a hard time explaining it. Now there are many pilots who do triathlon. When i talk to

Carlos Sainz

, who is one of my idols, does not treat me like crazy. On the contrary, a crazy guy in a rally lasts a corner, the first one. The concentration is total, even more than in a triathlon. It is something that I am passionate about but really, that has taught me a lot: to know how to control nerves and fear. Like the year on a bike (Xacobeo), to go in a squad, to avoid montoneras, to plot, to know how to brake. It was also not understood. But he also did chess when he was little. And that is bad? The bad thing is being closed to an idea and never wanting to learn. Do you remember the first time you crossed paths with

Gómez Noya

? I saw him in the pool, he was very small.

The kid swam very well.

When he was 15 years old, we ran a triathlon in Castropol and he could see ways.

Normally city swimmers did not dare to triathlon and he without training did some brutal foot races.

Then, I already a world champion, we started training together.

And I was like, 'But this guy is going to win whatever he wants!'

He saw it so clearly that sometimes he would lead me into arguments with friends of mine.

They told me: 'It can't be that much, that there are a lot of good triathletes'.

And I replied: 'This guy is different.

It's like that, but without training. '

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